radar

The skywatch radar subcommand pulls live ADS-B state vectors from the OpenSky Network. All commands support --format json|text.

Commands

Command	Description	Example
track	Track a flight by callsign	skywatch radar track UAL1234
flights	List active flights near a coordinate	skywatch radar flights 37.62 -122.38

track

Look up a flight by its callsign (ICAO flight number):

skywatch radar track UAL1234

Returns one or more state vectors matching the callsign. Each vector includes:

• ICAO24 hex address
• Callsign
• Origin country
• Position (latitude, longitude, baro altitude, geo altitude)
• Ground speed and track
• Vertical rate
• Squawk code
• On-ground flag

If no aircraft is found with the given callsign:

# Text: "No aircraft found with callsign UAL1234"
# JSON: []

flights

List all active flights within a radius of a coordinate (useful for pattern traffic, approach sequencing, or density awareness):

skywatch radar flights 37.62 -122.38
skywatch radar flights 37.62 -122.38 --radius 25

Default radius is 50 NM. The --radius flag takes a value in NM.

Arguments:

• LAT — latitude in decimal degrees
• LON — longitude in decimal degrees

Data source

All radar data comes from the OpenSky Network public REST API using ADS-B state vectors. State vector data is cached for 15 seconds to avoid hammering the endpoint on repeated calls.

Note: OpenSky anonymous API access may rate-limit requests. Results reflect ADS-B equipage — not all aircraft broadcast ADS-B.